1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developer accommodating container used for supplying a developer or toner to a developing device of an image forming apparatus such as an electrostatic copier or a printer, and a developing device which is equipped with a developer accommodating container supplying a developer to a developing unit provided with a developer bearing member that bears a developer and which is detachably mounted on the main body of an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, electrophotographic recording apparatuses or electrophotographic image forming apparatuses have been used in printers, copiers, etc. The developing devices of the electrophotographic recording apparatuses use a developer (hereinafter referred to as "toner").
The toner is consumed as an image forming process proceeds and therefore must be replenished as necessary. There is available a toner accommodating container or a developer accommodating container used for replenishing the toner once to the developing apparatus, such as a copier, and as a toner accommodating container of a process cartridge used with a printer for an information terminal such as a computer, a facsimile, or a CAD system.
In a typical process cartridge, the opening of a toner accommodating container or a toner outlet, is sealed with a toner seal or a sealing member. To discharge toner to a developing unit equipped with a development roller or a developer bearing member carrying the toner, the toner seal is pulled out externally to open the container. Thus, the toner can be discharged onto the developing unit through the opening of the toner accommodating container. A lengthwise end of the developing unit is provided with an elastic end seal that presses the toner seal against the accommodating container to prevent the toner from leaking when the toner seal is removed.
The sealant surface of the toner seal in the conventional toner accommodating container or process cartridge should be made of a material that easily clings to the main body of the container. However, under a storage environment of high temperature and high humidity, there are cases where the toner seal and the end seal adhere to each other in a pseudo manner, and the sliding strength, i.e., opening strength, of the toner seal especially at the beginning of pulling becomes high. Likewise, there are cases where a portion of the toner seal to which the toner has adhered exhibits high sliding strength, i.e., the opening strength, from the pulling start of the toner seal until it reaches the end seal.